Wire-rope clamp.



E. P. FREDERICK 61: H. NIEMEIER.

WIRE ROPE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10, 1913.

1,1 17,656. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHEBT 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. FHUTU-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

E. P. FREDERICK & H. NIEMEIER.

WIRE ROPE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. FHOTU LITHO., WASHINGTON O. C.

TED STATES PATENT orFio.

EDWARD P. FREDERICK AND HENRY NIEMEIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNORS TO JOSEPH D. BASCOM, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WIRE-ROPE CLAMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD P. FRED- ERICK and HENRY 'NIEMEIER, citizensof the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-RopeClamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to attachments for ropes, cables, and the like,and has for its object to provide an improved clamp, which is adapted tohold the end of a rope, cable, or the like, and is designed so that adraft hook or any other device can be attached thereto. the same beingparticularly well adapted for use in connection with the towline, whichis disclosed in United States Letters Patent, No. 1,009,633, granted toJoseph D. Bascom, November 21, 1911.

Further, the present invention consists of the novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, inwhich like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clamp embodying the presentinvention, showing same holding an end of a rope and having a draft-hookattached thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clamp with thedraft-hook detached therefrom; Fig. 3 is an interior plan view of one ofthe parts of the clamp; Fig. 4; is an interior perspective view of theother part of the clamp: Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55, Fig.1; Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, are detailed views of an alternate form ofthe invention; and Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-10, Fig.6.

The clamp consists of two members 1 and 2, which members are preferablyformed with somewhat of an elliptical configuration and are fastenedtogether by means of a bolt 3 or the like, said bolt extending throughopenings 4 in approximately the centers of said members. The member 1 isrelatively longer than the member 2 and bears a lug 5, which projectsfrom the inner face of said member 1 at one end thereof, the end face ofthe lug 5 being flush with the end face of the member 1, and the innerface 6 of said lug being preferably arranged to slope so as to hold thebeveled end 7 of the member 2 in place, thereby preventing theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Serial No. 753,146.

end of the member 2 from projecting above the outer surface of said lug.A lug or pro- ]ection 2 on the beveled end 7 of the member 2 seats in anotch 1 in the lug 5 and thereby prevents lateral movement of one memberwith respect to the other. An opening 8 is preferably formed partly inthe end of the member 1 that bears the lug 3 and partly in said lug, sothat its axis substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of theclamp, and is of such size that the end of a rope or cable 9 to beclamped can pass therethrough, said" rope or cable being preferablyformed of wire. Grooves 10 and 11 in the inner faces of the members 1and 2, respectively, register with each other and unite to form somewhatof an elliptical-shaped space, which communicates with the opening 8 forthe purpose now to be described.

The rope or cable 9 is passed through the opening 8 in the member 1 andis then formed in a loop 12 to fit in the groove 10 in said member,after which the end of the rope or cable is secured to the main partthereof b wire seizing 13 or other suitable means. The member 2 is thenplaced with its inner face covering the inner face of the member 1 sothat the part of the loop 12 that proiects from the groove 10 in member1 will seat in the groove 11 in the mem her 2-. and the beveled end 7 ofthe member 2 underlies the sloping face 6 of the lug 5 on member 1,whereupon the bolt 3 is passed through the openings 4: in the members 1and 2 and the nut thereon tightened. thereby holding said memberssecurely together. and. also. causing said members to clamp and hold theloop 12 firmly in the grooves 10 and 11. It will be observed that thebolt 3 extends through approximately the center of the loop 12, anobiect of this arrangement being to cause the members 1 and 2 to exertsubstantially a uniform pressure upon the whole loop 12, so as to holdthe latter securely in the grooves 10 and 11.

The ends of the members 1 and 2 that extend beyond the loop 12 haveopenings 14: extending transversely therethrough, which openingsregister with each other so as to receive a bolt or pin 15 for thepurpose of attaching a clevis 16 or the like to the ends of saidmembers. Said clevis may pass through the eye 17 of a draft-hook 18 ormay have anything else attached thereto.

It will be observed that the axis of the opening 8 passes through theaxes of the bolts 3 and 15, so that said bolts will be directly in linewith the pull on the rope or cable 9, the advantage of this arrangementbeing obvious.

In the alternate form of the invention depicted in Figs. 6 to 10,inclusive, the mem her 2 is relatively shorter and is adapted to fitbetween the lug 5 at one end of the memher 1 andthe lug 19 at the otherend of said member 1, the inner face of said lug 5 being preferablysubstantially perpendicular to the inner face of the member 1, insteadof sloping as hereinabove described, and the lug 19 being arranged toproject from the inner face of the member 1 beyond the loop 12 and beingprovided with a notch 20 to receive a lug or projection 21 borne by theend of the member 2 adjacent thereto. By this arrangement, the lugs orprojections 2 and 21 on the ends of the member 2, by seating in thenotches 1 and 20 in the lugs 5 and 19, respectively, borne by the member1, prevents lateral movement of one mem her with respect to the other.The opening 14 is omitted entirely from the member 2, and the opening 11 in the member 1 is arranged to extend also through the lug 19, as bestseen in Fig. 10.

It will be evident that a rope clamp constructed as hereinabovedescribed will be strong and eflicient and, furthermore, same will besimple, easy, and inexpensive to manufacture.

We claim:

v 1. A rope clamp comprising two members having grooves in their innerfaces, which grooves register with each otherand unite to form a spaceto receive the looped end of a rope, one of said members beingrelatively longer than the other and bearing a lug, which projects fromthe inner face of the same at one end thereof, there being an openingpartly in the end of the longer member that bears the lug and partly insaid lug, which opening communicates with the grooves in said membersand is adapted to receive the main part of the rope, and meansconnecting said members and so situated as to pass through the loopedend of the rope for clamping the latter in the grooves in said members.

2. A rope clamp comprising two members having grooves in their innerfaces, which grooves register with each other and unite to form a spaceto receive the looped end of a rope, one of said members being relatively longer than the other and bearing a lug, which projects from theinner face of the same at one end thereof, there being an opening partlyin the end of the longer member that bears the lug and partly in saidlug, which opening communicates with he srq s in s i m m e s a i d p dto receive the main part of the rope, and means connecting said membersand so situated to pass through the looped end of the rope for clampingthe latter in the grooves in said members, the inner face of said lugbeing arranged to slope and the end of the shorter member adjacentthereto being beveled to underlie the same.

3. A rope clamp comprising two members having grooves in their innerfaces, which grooves register with each other and unite to form a spaceto receive the looped end of a rope, there being an opening in an end ofone of said members which communicates with the grooves in said membersand is adapted to receive the main part of therope, means connectingsaid members and so situated as to pass through the looped end of therope for clamping the latter in the grooves in said members, the ends ofsaid members extending beyond the grooves which are adapted to containthe looped end of the rope, and means connecting such extensions.

4. A rope clamp comprising two members having grooves in their innerfaces, which grooves register with. each other and unite to form a spaceto receive the looped end of a rope, there being an opening in an end ofone of said members which communicates with the grooves in said membersand is adapted to receive the main part of the rope, means connectingsaid members and so situated as to pass through the looped end of therope for clamping the latter in the grooves in said members, the ends ofsaid members extending beyond the grooves which are adapted to containthe looped end of the rope, means connecting such extensions, and amember secured to said lastmentioned connecting means.

v5. In combination with a rope having a looped end and a draftattachment, a clamp including two members having grooves in their innerfaces, which grooves register with each other and unite to form a spaceto receive the looped end of the rope, there being an opening in an endof one of said members which communicates with the grooves in saidmembers and is adapted to receive the main part of the rope, meansconnecting said members and so situated as to pass through the" loopedend of the rope for clamping the latter in the grooves in said members,and means for attaching the draft attachment to the ends of said membersthat extend beyond the looped end of the rope.

6. A rope clamp comprising two members having groovesin their innerfaces, one end of one member beingenlarged toextend beyond the innerface of said member and being perforatedto admit the rope, said en.-largement being notched on its inner end, the other member. having a lugon one end thereof h h. re ei ed in s idpa h,

means to hold the opposite ends of the members against relative lateralmovement, and means extending through the centers of the members toconnect the members.

7. A rope clamp including a member having an enlarged end which isprovided with an opening to admit an end of a rope, a second memberwhich seats on the inner face of the first member and has one endthereof abutting the inner end of the enlargement of the end of thefirst named member, means to lock said members against transversemovement at their abutting points, said members having grooves on theirinner faces to receive a loop into which the said rope end is formed,and means passing transversely through the members to secure the lattertogether.

8. A rope clamp including a member having one end thereof provided witha single opening which forms an endless bounding wall to admit an end ofa rope by inserting said rope end in the front end of the opening, asecond member which seats on the inner face of the first named member,the first named member having a substantially elliptical groove on itsinner face to receive a loop into which the said rope end is formed,said single opening of the first named member leading into one end ofthe elliptical groove so as to be common to both sides of said groove,and means to connect the members.

9. A rope clamp including two members placed one on top of the otherhaving grooves on their inner faces which register and unite to form aspace to receive the looped end of a rope, a projection borne by one ofthe members and having a perforation which registers with one of saidgrooves and is adapted to receive the main part of the rope and means toconnect the members so as to hold the looped end of the rope in saidregistering grooves.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

EDWARD P. FREDERICK. HENRY NIEMEIER. Witnesses:

GEORGE G. ANDnRsoN, WALTER G. GUELS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

